A city-wide sidewalk ordinance inches closer to reality after Monday’s unanimous decision by the Bellaire City Council.
The council approved the city manager to use available sidewalk data to develop a plan for city-initiated sidewalk installation that places a priority on completing the network in the most efficient manner.
The agenda item was brought to the forefront by council member Trisha Pollard and Mayor Pro Tem Roman Reed. Sidewalks, and the lack thereof, have been a long-standing issue with Pollard.
“It is residents quality of life and safety that most factors into our mobility policies,” said Pollard.
Reed, sees this as an opportunity to promote the city.
“If we want to promote community involvement, if we want to promote neighbors getting to know each other, if we want to promote fitness, health, and exercise. If we want to promote Bellaire become a better community, we need to implement this policy,” said Reed, “where there’s at least one sidewalk on every street in Bellaire”
The action that was taken Monday by council is no implementation of policy. And it’s also a different action than the one that was taken by council in a May meeting.
That action will require the installation of sidewalks during the construction of new single-family homes, or allow a fee in-lieu of sidewalks, in specific situations where a complete or near completed sidewalks exists on one-side of the street.
The city manager, Paul Hoffman, addressed the differences between the action taken in May and Monday’s action by council.
“[May action] That was a direction to have the home-builder community or their client build sidewalks on their nickel,” said Hoffman. “This would be a plan that would move towards, if funding is provided. The city on its own accord, from its own funding, initiating the completion of sidewalk networks, for the sake of completing sidewalk networks.”
This takes the construction of sidewalks out of the homeowner’s hands and into the city’s.
With the action approved, a timeline is now in motion. Hoffman estimates he could come back to council on August 1st with an update.
“I’m not promising it’ll be finished by August 1st,” said Hoffman, “but here’s where we are in the thinking of what might make sense for future funding.”
Hoffman was quick to add that, “funding doesn’t exist, to implement this plan that you’re asking me to create.”
Mayor Andrew Friedberg said he would like to have the public’s input before making a decision to implement a city-wide sidewalk ordinance.
The mayor’s words weren’t taken too kindly by council member Pat McLaughlan. He noted that the sidewalks are a “safety-oriented subject,” thus require no public input. Council member Reed agreed.
Pollard had the last word on public input, fitting, as it was her initiate that drove this action forward.
“The ultimate public input, is the ballot box,” said Pollard. “If 51 percent say they don’t want this, I’ll shut up and never say sidewalks again.”
In other agenda items, the council denied a request from council member McLaughlan to increase the residence homestead exemption for individuals 65 years and older.
The council voted 6-1 not to raise the exemption with McLaughlan the only one for it.
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